This invention relates to pumps for inflating balloons and particularly to a balloon pump designed for use by performers who make balloon figures and articles.
Magicians and other performers often use balloons in their acts to create balloon articles and figures. Usually the performer works alone and must inflate the balloons himself during the show. Although a balloon can be inflated by exhalation, this method prevents the performer from speaking and thus interrupts the performance. Also blowing up balloons in this manner is exhausting. Therefore, hand and motor operated pumps and compressed gas cylinders have also been used for inflating balloons during a performance. Motor driven pumps, however, are too noisy and interfere with the performance, while compressed gas cylinders are too bulky and expensive, particularly for street performers. Therefore, hand operated pumps are most popular with performers.
U.S. Pat. No. D. 220,840 shows one ornamental design for a pump suitable for inflating balloons. This design patent discloses a piston and cylinder type pump with a handle and rod for driving the pump piston and a handle on an outlet end of a cylinder. This pump, however, requires two hands to operate and is thus cumbersome to use in a performance.
U.S. Pat. No. D. 322,471 to the current inventor shows a balloon pump designed specifically for use by performers. This pump includes an elongated piston connected to a base so as to stand upright. A cylinder fits over the piston and is adapted to be moved up and down over the stationary piston by the performer to produce the pump stroke. Although the pump shown in this design patent is lightweight and easily transportable and leaves the performer free to speak while inflating balloons, it still requires two hands to operate. That is, the cylinder must be lifted up by the ring at the top of the cylinder with two hands and then pushed down with one hand to inflate the balloon. Also, the pump shown in the '471 design patent has a fixed height and is uncomfortable for performers above and below a certain height range.